Picture frame



Aug; 15, 1950 M. E. GREENSPON 2,519,133

PICTURE FRAME Filed Feb. 19, 1946 aim-neg Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a r 1 2,519,183 Q I microns FRAME Marshall E. Greenspon, Hartford, Conn. Application February 19, 1946, Serial No. 648,733

mor e particularly to a picture or photograph frame which is folda-ble and which is preferably constructed of sheet material.

An object of this invention is to provide aframe which will support a picture in an upright position and provide a recessed frame around the picture.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a frame which may be readily folded into a flat position, when not in use, so that it may be easily carried in transportation.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a frame embodying my invention, showing a picture or photograph mounted therein in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side view, in central vertical section, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational plan View of said frame.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the bottom portion of the frame, in central vertical section, showing a modified form of the invention.

As shown in the drawings, a frame comprising my invention is preferably constructed of stiff sheet material, such as card board, fiber board, or the like, and may consist of left and right vertical members 5 and 6, which are joined together by upper and lower crosswise connecting members 1 and 8.

Each of the members 5 and 6 consist of a single sheet of material that is scored, as at 9-9, so that it may be bent, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a front portion 10 and rearwardly extending flaps H. The said flaps H pivot on the front portion l and have slots 12 and I3, extending diagonally thereinto from the score line to receive the rearwardly extending flaps l4 and I of the connecting members I and 8; the said connecting members having front portions l6 and I! which are joined to the upright portions at the upper corners of the frame and near the bottom portion thereof by being glued thereto or by other suitable means.

The bottom portion of each of the portions III of the upright members 5 and 6 may be widened out, as at l8, to provide a better appearance and also form a base for retaining the frame in an upright position upon a surface; the flap 1 I being extended rearwardly to retain the frame in upright position.

It will-be readily understood, from the above description, that the said frame may be easily 3 'Claims. (Cl. 40--155) verging towards the center of the frame, a pair folded into a flat position by opening the flaps II, to remove the flaps I 4 and I5, of the members l6 and H, from the slots I2 and I3, and then fiatting all of said flaps one upon the other. When the frame is tobe set up for use, the flaps A H are merely opened out, the flaps I 4 and I5 are then inserted in'the slots l2 and I 3, and the picture or photograph indicated in dotted lines at is, is .placed between the said flaps II and against the flaps l4 and l5, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, in which position the photograph or picture will be securely retained in the frame by the inherent tendency of the portions l l to be biased towards each other under the natural tension in the material.

When the frame herein described is set up, as shown in Fig. 1, it will provide a recessed border around the photograph or picture, in which the picture is located at the bottom of the recess and surrounded by an inclined bordering surface giving the frame as a whole a very pleasing appearance.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 4, the flaps I! of the connecting members may be extended across the front of the upright members so as to eliminate the necessity of having the slots l2 and I3 extended as shown at 13 and M in Fig. 2 to receive these flaps.

I claim:

1. A picture frame of the character described constructed of sheet material and comprising a pair of left and right upright members, each of said members having a front portion with a flap hingedly connected thereto and convergin rearwardly therefrom; said flaps having slots therein at an angle to the upright portion and conof horizontal members having front portions interconnected with the front portions of the said upright members, and rearwardly extending flaps on said horizontal members fitting within said slots and terminating in free edges therein to provide an abutment against which a sheet member is retained Within said frame by the rearwardly extendin flaps of the upright members, and whereby the said flaps of the upright members are held in open position by abutment with the edges of said sheet member.

2. A picture frame of the character described constructed of resilient sheet material and comprising a pair of spaced separate upright members, each of said members being scored longitudinally to provide a front portion and a rearwardly extending flap pivoting on said front portion, an upper and a lower horizontal con- 3 necting member each having a front portion secured to the front portions of the separate upright members and a flap terminating in a free edge insertable within slots carried by the said rearwardly extending flaps; the said flaps of 5 the upright members extending diagonally to the said front portion and converging rearwardly towards the center of the frame and being urged to pivot towards; thesfiee edges ofi'tlie flapseorr' the said connectin members by the resiliency" 10 of the sheet material to secure a sheet member in said frame between the said flaps of the up right members and the free edges of the flaps, of the connecting members.

3. A picture frame constructed: ofisheeti-mate- 1'5:

rial and comprising a left andv right uprightmember each having a nap projecting fearwardly therefrom with a vertical slot em'ending, inwardly from the upper-rand lower edge of each on said; flaps-i adjacent the. said members the 20 said slotsa extending diagonally through saidflaps towards the: center of. the 'frame,.upper and: lower horizontal. connecting members eachhaving. a front.portion..receivable.- in said -yerzti-rslots terse/curing it-to theuprightmembers, 25

and a: flap; terminating in: a. free :edge and. extending, rearwardl-y from each. of: said. connect ing members into said diagonal slots for retaining the frame in opened position; the ends of said slots in the upright members being urged against the said free edges of the flaps due to the resiliency of the sheet material to thereby secure a sheet member against said free edges and between the flaps on the said upright members.

IVIARSHALRES. GREENSPON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file: of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

